When lightning struck a tree June 24, 2007 in Grand Teton National Park, igniting the Uhl Hill Fire, it could have become a project fire. Instead it burned four acres and ran into the treatment area of the 800-acre Eynon Ridge Prescribed Fire that had been completed just eight months earlier.
In 2005, interagency crews completed the 1,260-acre Diamond L Prescribed Fire on the Bridger-Teton National Forest side of the boundary. In October 2006, Teton Interagency fire crews conducted the Eynon Ridge prescribed fire along the Grand Teton National Park and the Bridger-Teton National Forest boundary, for a combined treatment of more than 2,000-acres of mixed conifer, aspen, sage and grass meadows.
“In 2007, our fire indices were running well above average for late June, especially for the fuel type the Uhl Hill Fire was burning in,” said assistant fire manager Chip Collins. “It was burning on the edge of a mixed conifer stand in very dry duff and logs. Other area fires in that fuel model had moved quickly and been resistant to suppression efforts.”
Another fire burning in the north zone at the same time, the Horse Creek Fire, exhibited active fire behavior, including 100-foot flame lengths, rapidly growing to more than 1,000 acres. Firefighters contained the Horse Creek Fire at 8,590 acres on July 2.
Due to the early season severity, as well as concern about nearby private lands and recreation areas, fire managers opted to take suppression actions on the Uhl Hill Fire. The area’s remoteness and difficult access delayed initial attack efforts. Collins said strong winds kept a smokejumper plane from deploying the West Yellowstone Smokejumpers.
While fire managers conducted the prescribed fires for resource-based objectives, including conifer encroachment in aspen and vegetative succession type goals, they gained the added benefit of the burned area providing a significant fuel break for the Uhl Hill Fire.
Contact: Traci Weaver, Fire Communication and Education Specialist
Phone: (307) 739-3692
*This story supports the National Fire Plan |
